Wasteland has an appealing transformation

Jinlinwan tourism town draws couples to take their wedding photos in the lavender fields. [Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily]

Although it only opened to the public in March last year, Jinlinwan tourism town has attracted 600,000 visitors so far this year, up 50 percent over the same period of last year, with many coming to relax in the hot springs and view the fields of lavender.

"The town used to be a barren wasteland, until we turned it into grassland and introduced flowers and the tourist facilities a few years ago," says Wang Jianwei, vice-general manager of a tourism company that runs the town. "Now families can enjoy camping and barbecues on the grassland and they have access to a gym and can enjoy sports such as basketball, badminton, tennis and horse-riding."

Moreover, Jinlinwan appeals to couples who come here to have their wedding photos taken by professional teams in the picturesque surroundings.

Wang's company and the local government have jointly invested 16.2 billion yuan ($2.46 billion) to develop a 533-hectare love-themed facility for weddings, including a honeymoon hotel, to further tap the lucrative wedding market.

Most of travelers come from Kunming and Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province, thanks to the Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway that opened at the end of last year and which has helped to bring more visitors from neighboring cities.

The high-speed railway has cut the travel time to half an hour from Qujing to Kunming, one and a half hours to Guiyang, and four hours to Changsha, the capital of Hunan province.

Wang says the town owes its popularity to the local government's support.

"The government has recommended us in various tourism promotion events held in major cities across the country," he adds.